Dying with Confidence: A Tibetan Buddhist Guide to Preparing for Death

by Anyen Rinpoche, Allison Graboski (Translator), Eileen Cahoon (Editor), Thondup Rinpoche (Afterword)

Overview

Anyen Rinpoche's wise and reassuring voice guides readers through the Tibetan Buddhist teachings on death and dying, while providing practical tools for end-of-life and estate planning. Dying with Confidence reads like a remarkable how-to guide, laying out in clear and straightforward language the preparations we must make and the best practices to use while dying to further our goal of enlightenment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861716562
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	09/21/2010
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	426,903
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Anyen Rinpoche was born in Amdo, Tibet. His lineage can be traced back directly to the renowned Dzogchen master Patrul Rinpoche, author of Words of My Perfect Teacher. Anyen Rinpoche's training included more than fourteen years of intensive study combined with solitary retreat before he obtained the degree of khenpo (master teacher) and became the head scholar of his monastic university in Kham, Tibet. Rinpoche is known for his profound understanding of the scriptures as well as his easy-to-understand interpretation of them. He has taught extensively in Tibet and China and now mentors students throughout Southeast Asia, Japan and North America.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was born in Golok, Eastern Tibet, and recognized as a reincarnate lama at age five. He left Tibet as a political refugee in 1958 and taught at Lucknow University and Visva Bharati University in India before coming to the United States as a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 1980. Since then, he has lived and worked in Cambridge, Massachusetts, engaged in translation and writing projects on Tibetan Buddhism, focused particularly on the teachings of the Nyingma school. He is the author of numerous books on history, literature, mind, and meditation.

Editorial Reviews

“A powerful guidebook and a source of comfort at life’s most crucial moment.”
—Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, author of Boudless Healing

“We all have temporary and ultimate fears, those of this life and those of the future—but among all of our fears, our greatest fear is the fear of death. Dying with Confidence gives us the methods to grasp the stronghold beyond death. Thank you, Anyen Rinpoche, for this incredibly kind book.”
—Garchen Rinpoche

“Drawing from his vast knowledge of Buddhist teachings, Tibetan master Anyen Rinpoche offers us a wise and luminous guide to the interplay between life and death, to the nature of consciousness, and to the transformation of fear into faith.” —Tsoknyi Rinpoche, author of Carefree Dignity and Fearless Simplicity

“This may be the most important contemporary Dharma book now available.” —Deborah Schoeberlein, author of Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness

“This is a wonderful book, a very practical guide grounded in the author's
personal experience and deep reflections. The sample end-of-life
documents that Anyen Rinpoche provides—the sample Dharma Will, for instance—are exceptionally valuable.” —José Ignacio Cabezón, The Dalai Lama Professor UC Santa Barbara

“With clear, concise directions, the author guides the reader through what is necessary to ensure a calm and smooth transformation into the next phase of existence. Including topics ranging from preparation of the will to organ donation and the use of medications and medical technology, Dying With Confidence provides a complete guide for Buddhists and also addresses the role of non-Buddhists as well. The appendices in the back of the book provide highly useful resources and additional information that the reader will also find useful. While the concept of one’s death is almost always uncomfortable to contemplate, it is not something that should be overlooked; this book will help to make the metamorphosis that much easier.”—Elephant Journal

“This is an insightful “how-to” guide. The perfect way to die is “to abide in the nature of mind, with its empty essence, clear nature and all-pervasive compassion” according to a remarkable rinpoche who passed away on the first day of Sakadawa in 2005, and is quoted by the author of this loving and practical book who himself was born in Tibet and teaches at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Anyen Rinpoche’s clear compassionate style will help those who think that contemplating death will make them sorrowful. It should not. He helps us to understand the various stages, the bardos of living and dying, the practice of phowa and how to help someone through the dying process. A clear and reassuring read.”—Mandala, Editors Choice

From the Publisher

"A powerful guidebook and a source of comfort at life's most crucial moment."

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche

"We all have temporary and ultimate fears, those of this life and those of the future--but among all of our fears, our greatest fear is the fear of death. Dying with Confidence gives us the methods to grasp the stronghold beyond death. Thank you, Anyen Rinpoche, for this incredibly kind book."

Garchen Rinpoche

"Drawing from his vast knowledge of Buddhist teachings, Tibetan master Anyen Rinpoche offers us a wise and luminous guide to the interplay between life and death, to the nature of consciousness, and to the transformation of fear into faith."

Tsoknyi Rinpoche

"This may be the most important contemporary Dharma book now available."

Deborah Schoeberlein

"This is a wonderful book, a very practical guide grounded in the author's personal experience and deep reflections. The sample end-of-life documents that Anyen Rinpoche provides—the sample Dharma Will, for instance—are exceptionally valuable."

Jose Ignacio Cabezón

"With clear, concise directions, the author guides the reader through what is necessary to ensure a calm and smooth transformation into the next phase of existence. Including topics ranging from preparation of the will to organ donation and the use of medications and medical technology, Dying With Confidence provides a complete guide for Buddhists and also addresses the role of non-Buddhists as well. The appendices in the back of the book provide highly useful resources and additional information that the reader will also find useful. While the concept of one's death is almost always uncomfortable to contemplate, it is not something that should be overlooked; this book will help to make the metamorphosis that much easier."

Elephant Journal

"This is an insightful "how-to" guide. The perfect way to die is "to abide in the nature of mind, with its empty essence, clear nature and all-pervasive compassion" according to a remarkable rinpoche who passed away on the first day of Sakadawa in 2005, and is quoted by the author of this loving and practical book who himself was born in Tibet and teaches at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Anyen Rinpoche's clear compassionate style will help those who think that contemplating death will make them sorrowful. It should not. He helps us to understand the various stages, the bardos of living and dying, the practice of phowa and how to help someone through the dying process. A clear and reassuring read."

Editors Choice Mandala

"This is a wonderful book, a very practical guide grounded in the author's personal experience and deep reflections. The sample end-of-life documents that Anyen Rinpoche provides--the sample Dharma Will, for instance--are exceptionally valuable."

Jose Ignacio Cabezón